Adhesive applying apparatus



y 1956 H. s. LABOMBARDE 2,745,378

ADHESIVE APPLYING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 9, 1952 .1 INVENTOR:

70 I HAROLD s. LAlzgyelgD 105 1 108 EATRICEM.LABOMBARDB, ExEcvrRIX L BY PA-W M F ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent ADHESIVE APPLYlN G APPARATUS Harold S. Labombarde, deceased, late of Nashua, N. H., by Beatrice M. Lahombarde, executrix, Nashua, N. Ii, assignor to International Paper Box Machine Company, Nashua, N. H., a corporation of New Hampshire Application December 9, 1952, Serial N 0. 324,864

9 Claims. (Cl. 118-257) This invention relates to apparatus for continuously applying an elongated strip of liquid adhesive to the upper surfaces of articles or sheets advancing along a conveyor line when it is not practical or possible, to locate an adhesive reservoir above the conveyor line. In particular, the invention relates to applying such adhesive to the upper surface of articles such as paper box blanks 2,745,378 Patented May 15, 1956 carries the same around an upper pulley and down into contact with the surface of the blanks where it is deposited as an elongated strip. Any surplus adhesive remains on the belt and is carried back over the other upper pulley to the transfer roller and thence back into the adhesive reservoir, or tank, of the glue pot.

The principal object of the invention is to eliminate the usual glue pot above the paper line of box forming machines, or the like, and to accomplish the depositing of a longitudinally extending strip of adhesive on the upper surfaces of articles or sheets advancing on the paper line by supplying the same from a glue pot, positioned at the side of, and below the paper line.

Another object of the invention is to provide an endless belt structure capable of transferring a film of adhesive through a circuit of 90 or 180 without requiring a 180 twist in the belt thereby avoiding a tendency for the belt to wear out rapidly and to slide off its pulleys.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means for applying adhesive to locations above the paper line of a box forming machine which is readily attachable and detachable to the ordinary lower glue pots of such machines and which can be moved transversely to various locations across the paper line by moving the lower glue pot in the usual manner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an endless belt in reverse coating contact with a rotating ing adhesive to the upper surfaces of such advancing blanks, a similar glue pot has sometimes been positioned above the paper line but it has been necessary to provide sufiicient transfer rollers to transfer the film of adhesive from the tank to a point well below the tank in the path of the blanks. Not only has such an upper glue pot obstructed the vision of the operator and required considerable structure to support it, but the depth of the tank has been limited by the lack of space, thereby requiriug frequent refilling.

Endless belts have heretofore been proposed to replace, or connect with, the transfer roller of a glue pot and transfer a film of adhesive from a glue supply fixed below the paper line to the undersurface of articles on a conveyor. Such belts have also been used to transfer a film of adhesive from a glue supply fixed above the paper line to upper surfaces of articles on a conveyor.

However, in this invention, the glue supply is at the side of, and below, the paper line and an endless belt transfers the adhesive from the supply to the upper surfaces of the articles or blanks. Thus a glue pot, of any well known type, having a revolving transfer roller can be fixed to the machine to move transversely below the paper line and can be used either to apply adhesive to the undersuiface of the blanks in the usual way or, by adding the endless belt apparatus of the invention, can be used to apply adhesive to the upper surfaces of the blanks.

In its preferred form, the endless belt apparatus of the device includes a first pair of grooved. pulleys, one just above, and in the same vertical plane as the transfer roller of a glue pot, and the other of the pair rotatable in a plane parallel to the plane of the transfer roller just above the path of the blanks. It also includes a second pair of pulleys, above and between the first pair, and at right angles thereto and an endless belt trained around both pairs of pulleys.

Each stretch of the endless belt, between pulleys, is quarter twisted so that the coating face of the belt does not contact the sides of the pulley grooves. The section of the belt, which contacts the transfer roller, continuously picks up a film of uniform thickness ofv adhesive,

adhesive supply roll and in direct coating contact with the upper surfaces of advancing blanks thereby permitting any adhesive not deposited on said blanks to be picked off said belt by said supply roll and returned to the adhesive reservoir thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide endless belt mechanism for transferring a film of adhesive around one or more angles wherein the exposed coating face of the belt contacts the transfer or supply roller tangen tially rather than partially encircling the same as has heretofore been proposed.

Where the inside surface of a belt travels over a transfer roll to receive a film of adhesive, it becomes necessary to twist the belt through to deposit the film on another surface, a disadvantage not present in this invention.

In the drawing,

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view showing the invention applied to a typical box forming machine.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. -3 is a fragmentary rear view of the device shown in Fig. I.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the invention from the direction of line 44 of Fig. 2.

As shown in the drawing, the invention is applied to a typical machine A for glueing and folding blanks B of paper or the like into boxes. In such machines, a magazine of flat paper box blanks is usually provided together with suitable feeding mechanism for delivering individual blanks B, successively to a conveyor C which conveyor carries each blank. along a horizontal paper line P extending longitudinally of the machine A. Suitable adhesive is applied to each blank and the blank is folded as it travels along the paper line to the discharge end ofthe machine. The magazine, folding and discharge portions of the machine A are not shown since they form no. part of this invention but the adjacent portions of the conveyor C and paper line P are included to illustrate a typical positioning of the invention in a machine such as A.

As best shown in, Fig. l, a fiat blank B is advanced in the direction of the arrow along the paper line B by a conveyor C which may be in the form of an upper belt 20 and alowerbelt 39, each belt extending longitudinally the purpose.

' what cumbersome and'expensive to manufacture L In this invention the usual top glue pot eliminated and the top glueing is accomplished by the use of any of the many diflerent types of .bottom' glue and scraper roll or blade.

on an opposite sideof blank B and guided on suitable a longitudinally extending frame piece such as 22 of machine A'and the belts 20 and 30 are shownas aligned with anintermediate portion ofblank B to leave one of the horizontal flaps 34 ofblank B face tobe glued. Ad-

ditional conveyor belts similar'to belts20 and 30 may be fused, or'a conveyorchain with upstanding lugs is often used for advancing blanks such as B, the essential point a being thatthe blanks are held from twisting in a horizon-f tal plane or risingfrom the horizontal plane during the box formingoperations.

'7 pulleys such as 21, 31.' The'pulleys 21am mounted or A portion 40 of one of dthe jupstanding side frame pieces 41 of the foldingmachine'A' is shown in Fig. 1,

the opposite Similar side piece being omitted for clarity. A cross bar 42, extends between the side pieces suchas 41 as do three threaded rods 43, 44 and 45 forming part tration of the invention. A revoluble power shaft 46 is .journalled as at 47 in the side frame pieces such as 41 and a power sprocket 48 is mounted to revolve shaft 46.

In the rnanufacture of ordinary folding-boxes, the blanks are passed over a liquidadhesive transfer roller such as 100 in what is known as a bottom glue pot such as D, prior to being folded. The transfer roller transfers a an elongated film of adhesive to the outer surfaces of the blank such as a glue flap and preferably this film is as 'thin as possible and as uniform as possible. q adhesive may cause the boxes to adhere to each other,

Too much toolittle'glue may cause a weak faulty joint and inspec- 3 tion of thefilm is diflicult since it lies between glued flaps. In folding certainboxes, such as the double side" .'wall type, an elongatedfilm of adhesive must be applied to the inner surfaces of portions'of the blank and heretofore what is known as a topglue pot has been used for left hand'type and have enabled the application of all adhesive in a single pass through themachine but they have included a reservoir for the adhesive, and three or rnore rollers'for transferring the adhesive down to the paper line. The reservoir has necessarily been shallow.

thus requiring constantrefill and the top glue pot has chain drive for the rollers and has otherwise been somemaintain.

pots which may be already on a machine such-as A.

"The bottom glue potillustrated at D is typical and in:

Top glue pots have been of the rightor and is completely of the particular folding machine A used herein for illusrequired separate supporting frame members, a special cludes a housing 110, an interior reservoir or tank 101 for the liquid adhesive, and a trans'ferroll 100, although other types may also includea suitable applicator roll A shaft 104 is journalled in.

each opposite side of the pot D at 105 and 106, the transfer roll 100 being mounted on one end. thereof and a sprocket 107 on the opposite end thereof. The'bottom glue pot D is slidable on, and adjustable to various transverse positions with relation to the paper line on' a horizontal shaft 108 extending across the machine A in g a .well known manner. The bottom glue pot D forms the adhesive supply mechanism of the invention with the transfer roller 100 or a train of such rollers forming the rotating means for continuously supplying the liquid adhesive. lt'should be noted that the transfer roller 100 revolves on an axis of rotation transverse to thepaper line and at one side of the paper'line, the axis'of rotation thereof being below the level'of the paper line P.

The adhesive applicator means of the invention is shown at E and includes an upstanding post 150'having base flanges 151 and 152 through which bolts such as T 153'pass to secure the post to the cover or top wall of {the housing'110 of a bottom glue-pot such as D." As best surface of transfer roller shown in Figs. 1 and 4, post is preferably incljned 'backwardly in a direction ppposite to the direction of advance of the blanks B on .paper line P, thus permitting it to be installed withoutinterfering with, cross rods or bars such as at 42, 43,- 44 and 45. Post 150 been enlarged portion at 154 in which a'shaft 155 is journalled,

the shaft 155 having a sprocket 156 at one end which is aligned with sprockets 48 and 107. A drive chain70 is trained around sprockets 48, 107 and 156 whereby the shaft 46.is caused to rotate shaft104' carrying the transfer roller, and shaft 155 of the adhesive applicator means E.

The shaft.155 is called the first shaft of the invention.

and carries what are called herein a firstlpair of pulleys 160 and 161 each rotatable in a'yertical plane parallel to the direction-of paper line P.

A rigid member is hingepivoted at 171 to a pin 102 at the top 173 of post 150, the member 170 having a set screw 174in contact with a suitable seat175 on the top 173 so that the angle of member 170 may :be in-' creased or decreased with relation to post 150 as desired.

A second pair of pulleys 196 and 197 are mounted on the shaft element 190, both pulleys being rotatable in a vertical plane on an axis of rotation parallel to the path of the blanks B on paper-line P. Shaft element 190,: formed by the two. stub shafts 194 and 195 is thus at right angles to shaft 155 and eachpulley such as 196 is positioned above and between, but at right angles to the adjacent side edges of the pulleys 160 and 161.

Preferably each of the pulleys 160,161, 196 and,197 is grooved centrally of its circumference as at 206 and provided with flanges on each side of the groove, as at 207,208. An endless flexible. belt 210 is trained. around pulleys 160, 161, 196 and 197 so that its outer or coating surface projects slightly beyond the flanges such as 207 and 208 of each pulley. A. lower loop 211 is thus formed around pulley 161, a similar lower loop 212 is formed around pulley 160 and a pair. of similar upper loops 213 and 214at right angles thereto are formed around pulleys 196,197. 1 Preferably the endless belt 210 is formed of rubber or the like, and preferably the belt is of rectangular cross section with the cross section of the grooves such as 206 corresponding thereto. I V

Atno point does belt 210 twist through an angle of but instead the structure of this invention creates a quarter twist of 90 in each of the four vertical stretches of the loops 211, 212, 213 and 214, thus assuring that the belt will not be twisted off the pulleys and avoiding the application of adhesive film on the grooves and flanges of the pulleys. a l

Transverse adjustment isachieved by 'virtue. of the mounting of the entire adhesive transfer means'E on the adhesive supply means D since the latter may be moved.

transversely on its supporting shafts such as. 108-which extends across machine A. i

1 The lower loop 212 of endless belt 210 tangentially contacts the curved surface of'tran'sfer roller 100 and receives therefrom a thin film 220' of the liquid adhesive. The film 220 is carried on the outer surface of belt 210 by loop 214 over pulley 196 andby loop 211 down under pulley 161 into tangential coating contact with the advancing glue flap 34 upon which the belt deposits an elongated strip of adhesive 222.1 Any surplus adhesive is carried back by loop 213 over pulley 197 and ontofthe which redeposits the same in the reservoir 104." i

. Preferably -a pair of fingers 240,241 are provided he Preferably low pulley 161, each mounted on a shaft 242 and adjustable by a set screw 342 to, press upward on the undersurface of a flap 34 to urge the same into coating contact with the endless belt 210. The fingers 240, 241 are preferably of resilient wire. It will be apparent that transfer rollers such as 100, pulleys such as 160, 161, 196 and 197 and belts such as 210 of various width, may be provided to create elongated strips of adhesive such as 222 in similar widths and that the thickness of the film deposited by the belt 210 is easily controlled by mean-s of a scraper roll or blade on the adhesive transfer roller 100 of lower glue pot D.

The applicator means B may be used on a bottom glue pot situated on the opposite side of machine A, by reversing the sprockets and pulleys, reversing the set screw 174 and fiipping over member 170 through an angle of 180 on its hinge pivot 172.

Preferably, as shown, the adjacent surfaces of transfer roll 100 and of belt 210, at pulley 160, travel in opposite directions whereby transfer roll 100 reversely coats the film of adhesive 220 on the surface of belt 210.

Preferably also the adjacent surface of the blanks B and of belt 210 at pulley 161 travel in the same direction whereby belt 210 directly coats the film of adhesive 220 in the form of the elongated longitudinally extending strip 222 on the upper surface of the blanks B.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for applying a longitudinally extending strip of liquid adhesive to the upper horizontal surfaces of paper box blanks advancing individually and successively along the paper line of a box forming machine, said device comprising the combination of adhesive transfer means positioned at the side of said machine and including a transfer roller revolving on an axis of rotation transverse to, and below the plane of said paper line for continuously supplying a film of liquid adhesive and adhesive applicator means including an endless belt in tangential contact with said roller, said belt extending upwardly therefrom to a plane above the plane of said paper line and thence extending downwardly to the paper line with a loop thereof travelling around an axis of rotation transverse to, and above the plane of said paper line in tangential engagement with successive blanks for transferring said film of liquid adhesive from said roller to the upper surface of said blanks in the form of a longitudinally extending strip.

2. A device as specified in claim 1 wherein said adhesive applicator means includes a first pair of coaxial pulleys, each rotatable in parallel vertical planes on a common axis transverse to the paper line and a second pair of coaxial pulleys, above said first pair, each rotatable in parallel vertical planes on a common axis parallel to said paper line, the endless belt of said adhesive applicator means being trained around, and supported by said pulleys.

3. In a paper box folding machine having means for individually and successively advancing blanks along a horizontal paper line the combination of an adhesive transfer roller mounted at one side of the path of said advancing blanks said roller having an axis of rotation transverse to and below said path; a first pair of grooved pulleys, both rotatable in vertical planes and having a common axis of rotation above and parallel to the axis of rotation of said roller, one said pulley being above and adjacent said roller and the other said pulley being above and adjacent the path of the portion of said blanks requiring adhesive; a second pair of grooved pulleys, above said first pair, and rotatable in vertical planes said second pair of pulleys having a common axis of rotation parallel to the path of said blanks and at a right angle to the axis of said roller and of said first pair of pulleys, and a flexible belt trained around said first and second pairs of pulleys with one lower loop in tangential film receiving contact with said transfer roll, the other lower loop in position to coat adhesive on the horizontal flat surface of an advancing blank and each vertical stretch of said lower loops being quarter twisted to pass around a pulley of the second pair with the film carrying surface of said belt projecting from the opening of the grooves in said pulleys.

4. A device as specified in claim 3 wherein the grooves in said pulleys are of rectangular cross section and said belt is of similar cross section.

5. A device as specified in claim 3 plus drive means on said machine for driving said transfer roller and the pulley adjacent thereto in the same direction of rotation whereby the respective contacting surfaces of said flexible belt and adhesive transfer roller travel in opposite directions and the blank contacting surface of said belt travels in the direction of advance of said blanks.

6. In a paper box folding machine having means for individually and successively advancing blanks along a horizontal paper line the combination of adhesive transfer mechanism positioned at the side of, and substantially below the level of the paper line, said mechanism including a housing, a liquid adhesive tank in said housing and an adhesive coating roller supplied from said tank and extending above the top of the housing said roller rotating in a vertical plane on an axis of rotation transverse to the paper line and adhesive applicator means adapted to transfer adhesive to the upper surface of said advancing blanks, said applicator means comprising an upstanding post mounted on the top of the housing of said transfer mechanism; a first pair of pulleys coaxially mounted on a first shaft element journalled in said post, said first shaft extending transversely of said paper line from above said transfer roller to above the path of the portion of said blanks to receive adhesive; a second pair of pulleys coaxially mounted on a second shaft element journalled in said post above and at right angles to said first shaft ele ment said second shaft element extending parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the paper line, and a flexible belt passing over each of said second pair of pulleys and quarter twisted to pass under each of said first pair of pulleys, the outside surface of said belt being in film receiving contact with said transfer roller and in film coating contact with the upper surface of said blanks to transfer a film of adhesive thereto.

7. A device as specified in claim 6 wherein said post is inclined in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of said machine and extends from the top of said housing below and outside said paper line, upwardly and inwardly to a terminus at a point above and inside said paper line.

8. A device as specified in claim 6 wherein said adhesive transfer mechanism and adhesive applicator means carried thereby is mounted on a supporting shaft extending transversely across said machine below the paper line and adapted for adjustable positioning at preselected locations along said transverse shaft.

9. A device as specified in claim 6 wherein said post includes an intermediate hinge pivot and a belt tensioning set screw between said first and second shaft elements for adjusting the tension of said belt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 492,798 Hatfield Mar. 7, 1893 1,287,700 Knipe Dec. '17, 1918 1,895,315 Fisher Jan. 24, 1933 2,371,031 Davis Mar. 6, 1945 

1. A DEVICE FOR APPLYING A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING STRIP OF LIQUID ADHESIVE TO THE UPPER HORIZONTAL SURFACES OF PAPER BOX BLANKS ADVANCING INDIVIDUALLY AND SUCCESSIVELY ALONG THE PAPER LINE OF A BOX FORMING MACHINE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF ADHESIVE TRANSFER MEANS POSITIONED AT THE SIDE OF SAID MACHINE AND INCLUDING A TRANSFER ROLLER REVOLVING ON AN AXIS OF ROTATION TRANSVERSE TO, AND BELOW THE PLANE OF SAID PAPER LINE FOR CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A FILM OF LIQUID ADHESIVE AND ADHESIVE APPLICATOR MEANS INCLUDING AN ENDLESS BELT IN TANGENTIAL 